Each year anticipating Christmas, I get out our boxes of decorations to bring the holiday spirit to our home. I also bring out a stack of Christmas-themed books which we read together and on our own for the two months that follow. It is a tradition I started as a child with one single Christmas book I bought at Second Story Books with my allowance money. Now, I have quite a few more books and try to add another each year. This is the stack of new (bought second-hand) books I bought this year atop a perennial favorite. I’ve linked to them below with an * mark.
As I mentioned in a post last month, I’ve been focusing on hobbies more lately in an effort to heal and find peace after losing my dad. This list, however, is books with a Christmas theme to get in the holiday spirit. I love a good wintry cozy mystery with a Santa red herring.
Please note, the Amazon.co.uk links earn me a tiny affiliate amount if you make a purchase paid to me by Amazon, not your purchase. I do not use any other affiliate program and make about £10/year from this program. You know why I don’t make more? Because I’m telling you right now to use this list and shop locally, preferably in non-chain stores in your area. You will make a difference to your local economy.
Did you know I maintain an Amazon wish list which I check when I visit local or indie bookstores so I can remember what I’m longing to buy next and spend that money in a small store? It’s the exact opposite of Showrooming and a trend I’d love to see become mainstream.
Family Classics
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (shown above)
A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings by Charles Dickens (shown above)
The Nutcracker: The Original 1853 Edition With Illustrations
The Nutcracker by The New York City Ballet
The Nutcracker: A Papercut Pop-Up Book
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories: From Hans Christian Andersen to Angela Carter
Charles Dickens’ Christmas Stories: A Classic Collection for Yuletide
A Christmas Carol (Scholastic Classics)
Mysteries
A Highland Christmas (Hamish Macbeth) by M.C.Beaton *
Murder under the Christmas Tree: Ten Classic Crime Stories for the Festive Season *
Christmas Cupcake Murder: A Festive & Delicious Christmas Cozy Mystery (A Hannah Swensen Mystery)
Owl Be Home for Christmas: A Meg Langslow Mystery (Meg Langslow Mysteries, 26)
The Christmas Mystery: BookShots (Detective Luc Moncrief Series) by James Patterson
A Christmas Murder: An Eliza Thomson Investigates
Murder on a Midnight Clear: A 1920s Christmas Mystery (6) (High Society Lady Detective)
Mr Holmes’ Advent Calendar: 24 Solve-it-Yourself Christmas Crimes Calendar
Ryan’s Christmas: A DCI Ryan Mystery (The DCI Ryan Mysteries)
A Very Murderous Christmas: Ten Classic Crime Stories for the Festive Season (Vintage Murders)
The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning (Anty Boisjoly Mysteries)
A Corpse for Christmas: A Warm and Witty Standalone Christmas Mystery: 5 (An Izzy Palmer Mystery)
Twisted Tea Christmas (Tea Shop Mystery)
The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict NEW RELEASE
The Christmas Killer: Book 1 (DI James Walker series)
Christmas is Murder: A chilling short story collection
The Mystery of Montague Morgan: A 1920s Christmas Country House Murder (Heathcliff Lennox Book 7)
Christmas Calamity at the Vicarage (Churchill and Pemberley)
Murder at Melrose Court: Heathcliff Lennox Series, Book 1
Murder in the Snow: A gripping 1920s historical cozy mystery: 4 (A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery)
A Surprise for Christmas: And Other Seasonal Mysteries (British Library Crime Classics)
A Christmas Railway Mystery (Railway Detective): 15
Slay Bells (A Christmas Village Mystery)
The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries: 100 of the Very Best Yuletide Whodunnits NEW RELEASE
Murder in the Snow: A Cotswold Christmas Mystery
Murder Most Festive: A Christmas Mystery
The Mousse Wonderful Time of Year: Oxford Tearoom Mysteries, Book 10
A Cotswold Christmas Mystery by Rebecca Tope NEW RELEASE
A Christmas Mystery (The Cambridge Murder Mysteries)
Children’s Books
Peter Rabbit: Christmas is Coming: A Christmas Countdown Book
Peppa Pig: Peppa’s Night Before Christmas
The Berenstain Bears’ Night Before Christmas
Roger Saves Christmas by Roddy Doyle *
The Nightmare Before Christmas (Disney Classic) (Little Golden Book)
Home Alone: The Classic Illustrated Storybook (Pop Classics)
Elmo’s Countdown to Christmas *
Deck the Halls with Elmo! a Christmas Sing-Along
Peppa Pig: Peppa’s Jingle Bells
Enid Blyton’s Christmas Stories: Contains 25 classic tales
Numberblocks Christmas Sticker Activity Book
Squirrel’s Snowman: A new Tales from Acorn Wood
Little Sticker Dolly Dressing Christmas
Dear Santa by Rod Campbell
Lego® Iconic: Activity Book with Minifigure
LEGO® Iconic: Imagine and Play Christmas
